Jonathan Robie wrote:
>
> At 08:07 PM 6/19/98 -0500, Eric Weiss wrote:
>
> >Regardless of whether they were tears of anger or sorrow, I
> >never did like "burst into tears" - but maybe it conveys
> >something different to me than it did when Robertson wrote
> >these words decades ago. Is "Jesus wept" the only alternative?
>
> Started crying?
> Broke into tears?

I'm with you on this one, Jonathan ~ "Burst into tears" makes me laugh
out loud, sounding, as it toes, to our current ears cheaply
melodramatic. I like "Jesus wept." And even more, I like the
indefinite English historical present: "Jesus weeps." He does weep,
you know... And I believe this is the first time in John that this
fact is noted, though I could be mistaken. As a response, it follows
everyone saying "Come and see," which interestingly is the same thing
Jesus said to his first disciples in John in response to their enquiry
of where Jesus was remaining, which is the same remaining that caused
the death of Lazarus in the first place...

So it all fits together somehow, in John's childlike and simplistic
and enigmatic way of narration, and I have to believe that, when
finally understood, it will prove profoundly simple, and equally deep
beneath the chatter of our very inadequate intellectual efforts to
sound it out.